Dangle that Carrot

I hate to work out. I'm finally going to admit it. I'm never going to be a Gym Bunny, let alone a Gym Rat. I will never have cute coordinating workout clothes, nor will I look glistening and glowing as I work.

I will, forever, be reluctantly working out while wearing torn yoga pants, an industrial strength jogging bra, and a red faced grimace.

I've finally put it down in print and I intend to stand by this. Like flossing, working out will NEVER be on my joy list. NEVER.

I will do it because I have to. Like I have to check everyone's pockets before they go into the laundry. Like I have to clean toilets. Like I have to make dinner when a yogurt cup would suffice for me. Like I have to clean out my car or weed my garden or nag encourage Young One to wash his face and not just wet the wash cloth to fake me out.

Today was one of the dreadful days. I didn't enjoy one bit of my workout, but I had a goal to work towards. Nope, I'm not talking about buns of steel. (I seriously doubt I will ever own a set of THEM.) Nope, it was a food reward. Probably, this is very psychologically telling of some bizarre eating disorder. I don't care. It got me moving and the reward was well worth it (especially since breakfast was meager this am)!

My piano teacher was a wise woman. She always called Spring the time of year when it was time to throw out the rhubarb that we had frozen last year, just to replace it with the fresh stuff sticking up out of our defrosting gardens. I think of her every time I pull rhubarb out of the freezer. And she was right, I am using up the frozen stuff! I'm not sure if rhubarb is a midwest regional thing, but I do know that when I lived in the South, I could find it in the freezer section of the grocery store by the frozen fruit.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

Sweet and tart with a crumbly brown sugar and oatmeal crisp on top. I developed this recipe last Spring when the rhubarb was fresh. Serves 8 at 3 WW Points per serving.

1 pound fresh strawberries (if frozen, unsweetened berries, defrost and drain a bit.)

4 cups fresh or frozen rhubarb

2 TB honey

2 TB cornstarch

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix the above and place in an 8x8 pan that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.

Mix the next four ingredients until crumbly.

1 cup quick oats

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1 TB Brummel and Brown soft margarine spread

Sprinkle over strawberry rhubarb mixture. Bake for 40 minutes.

I usually put it in the oven so that it's done right when we sit down to dinner. Then, it's cool enough to eat when we are.